Trader Joe's provides such a more enjoyable experience than most grocery stores, it inspires me to buy as many staples there as I can. My willingness to choose them for fresh produce, however, has been limited not just to items unavailable at the local farmers' market, but also to items not ridiculously over -packaged in plastic. Until recently, that left only a few offerings.
Over the last year or so, the stores in my area (always a qualifier, as stores vary by region, with localized offerings for some items - New England dairies on the East Coast, for instance) have transitioned to more and more un-packaged produce. Where once were stacks of clear plastic containers holding six apples like a half-dozen red eggs, now there are apple bins. Where once only bagged avocados or red peppers on a shrink-wrapped foam tray like a cut of meat, now these items two have bins.
TJ's really likes efficiency; and a key reason for the old presentation of produce was its choice to not slow check-out down by weighing any item. In the new system, anything not sold in a bag or carton (such as pre-washed spinach or pre-cut fresh veggies) has a per-item price. Each apple or banana or loose orange pepper costs the same as any other of its type, even if they vary a bit in size or weight. As far as I can tell, this feature has not deterred the loyal shoppers. It certainly has not me.
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